Drainable pouches for the collection of liquid or semisolid body waste material are well known and typically include flat, opposing sidewalls secured together along their edges to define a collection cavity. One of the sidewalls is provided with an opening to receive a stoma, and means such as a connecting flange is provided for securing the pouch to an adhesive barrier placed to surround the stoma of a patient so that body waste material that is discharged from the stoma will be received within the cavity. At its lower end, the drainable pouch typically has a discharge opening which may be closed during collection of the liquid or semisolid body waste material that passes through the stoma but may be opened for draining the body waste material from the pouch. As will be appreciated, the drainable pouch will typically be provided with a closure for the discharge opening that may take a number of different forms so long as it serves to prevent leakage of the body waste material.
A drainable pouch is typically reusable following periodic emptying of the body waste material, but it is important the pouch be provided with effective sealing in order to avoid odors or contents emanating or leaking from the resealed pouch. This requirement is coupled with a need for the pouch to be easily and conveniently drainable, either directly through the discharge opening, or by reason of connecting an ancillary drainage device in a secure manner to the discharge opening of the pouch. Users of drainable pouches often encounter difficulty and discomfort in unsealing, emptying, and resealing the pouches because of the nature of the drainage systems and manipulations which require greater dexterity than many patients possess.
In addition, drainable pouches often show bulkiness after a period of time of accumulating body waste material. This is true with respect to both liquid and semisolid body waste material because the normally flat sidewalls of such pouches are formed of a thin film which easily expands outwardly as the body waste material accumulates. Further, these pouches often include a rigid outlet valve associated with the discharge opening of the drainable pouch.
These rigid outlet valves are typically sealed within the discharge opening and include a tubular fitting for connection to a collection device. However, such outlet valves can cause significant discomfort or pain when they come into contact with the skin of an individual using such a drainable pouch. Thus, there has been a need to address the apparently unrelated problems of bulking of the drainable pouch and protecting the user from the rigid outlet valve.